The
Championnat de France amateur 2, commonly referred to as simply
CFA 2 and formerly known as
National 3, is a
football league competition. The league serves as the fifth division of the
French football league system behind
Ligue 1,
Ligue 2,
Championnat National, and the
Championnat de France Amateur. Contested by 112 clubs, the Championnat de France amateur 2 operates on a system of
promotion and relegation with the Championnat de France amateur and the regional leagues of the
Division d'Honneur, the sixth division of
French football. Seasons run from August to May, with teams in eight groups playing 26 games each totalling 2080 games in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.